2024-25 Regular Season, Game 26 Preview: Hurricanes vs. Colorado Avalanche

The Carolina Hurricanes are hoping to quell their recent struggles after dropping their third straight decision on Tuesday to the Seattle Kraken. Seattle got on the boar dearly, scoring 19 seconds into the game after Jaden Schwartz buried a breakaway. The Canes responded quickly. Martin Necas intercepted a fumbled pass and found Eric Robinson alone in front of the net to even the score less than five minutes in. Seattle thoroughly outplayed the Hurricanes in the second period, scoring the go-ahead goal early in the period on Eeli Tolvanen's rebound marker as they went on to outshoot the Canes 14-2. Once again, the Canes would even things up early in the third period. This time, Necas was on the scoring side, sliding a beautiful shot around Joey Daccord's poke check and through his pads on the power play for his 13th goal. It looked like the Canes had taken their first lead of the night after Jack Drury buried a shot from a sharp angle. However, the Kraken challenged it for goalie interference after Robinson bumped into Daccord, wiping the goal off the board. Seattle responded less than a minute later on Yanni Gourde's goal and Brandon Tanev provided the dagger as Seattle outplayed the Canes to the tune of a 4-2 victory.

The Opponent: Colorado Avalanche (14-12-0, 28 Points, 4th in the Central Division)

Last Meeting: Spencer Martin was thrust into a tough spot against the Avalanche when they visited Denver to begin a three-game road trip. Jack Drury got the Canes rolling in the first period, scoring the only goal before Jordan Martinook added another early in the second period. When Cale Makar blasted a short-handed drive past Martin, the floodgates opened. Sam Malinski tied it less than two minutes later, but Martin Necas was on the spot to restore the lead on the power play. Then, the wheels fell off. Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen scored a minute apart. The Canes unsuccessfully challenged the Lehkonen goal and took another penalty shortly after to give Colorado a 5-on-3. They killed the first one, but Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play to make it three goals in three minutes. Martinook scored his second of the night early in the third period to make it a one-goal game until Rantanen did the same into the empty net to secure a 6-4 Colorado win. MacKinnon finished the night with a goal and three assists, while Martinook had a three-point night for the Canes. 

Since We Last Met: Colorado hasn't quite hit the stride we all know they can find, but they're trending in the right direction. They're 7-4-0 since the Canes' visit to Denver, with most of their recent work on the road. They've played six of their last eight away from home and Raleigh is the second stop on a five-game trip. The injury bug continues to be a massive issue. Over the last week, Jonathan Drouin, Miles Wood, Josh Manson, and Oliver Kylington have either hit IR or been given a week-to-week timeline to return from injuries. Goaltending also continues to be an issue with Alexandar Georgiev allowing four goals on eight shots Tuesday night against the Sabres before getting the boot. Fortunately, the recent acquisition of Scott Wedgewood came in and stopped 22 shots, and Colorado came back to win 5-4. The Avalanche still have a three-headed monster in Nathan MacKinnon (league-best 30 assists and tied with Martin Necas for the league-lead with 39 points), Mikko Rantanen (15 goals, 35 points), and Cale Makar (32 points, leading all NHL defensemen). If those three are connected, everything around them works. 

Stories of the Night

1. Lessons from Denver

Colorado's win in Denver in November came down to a handful of players swinging the momentum away from the Hurricanes after a good road start from Carolina. Cale Makar's short-handed goal kickstarted Colorado's incredible second period. Nathan MacKinnon turned things on its head by recording four points. Mikko Rantanen added two goals. This trio is Colorado's most dangerous group. Keeping them in check is easier said than done, but controlling the matchups could help curb their impact.

2. Necas and Who?

Through 25 games, Martin Necas has been the team's most consistent forward and producer this season. However, there hasn't been a second Hurricane who has been able to keep up with him at the same clip. Sebastian Aho has been a point-per-game player, but he hasn't had the same impact as Necas. Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis have shown glimpses, though not consistently. Necas has been the team's MVP. Who is going to step up and give Necas a run for his money while leading the team to another strong season? That remains to be seen.

3. Georgiev or Wedgewood?

The Avalanche made the head-scratching decision to trade young goalie Justus Annunen to Nashville, getting Scott Wedgewood to be their backup. Like in recent seasons, Alexandar Georgiev hasn't been the best at stopping pucks, though the wins are still coming at a decent clip. Georgiev was yanked early on Tuesday before Wedgewood stole the game for the Avalanche. Jared Bednar has an interesting decision because neither goalie is particularly great against Carolina, though Georgiev was in the net for Colorado's win a month ago.